International news headlines..

Anger over perceived delays in the processing of a medical visa for the sick child of a Fijian judge prompted the expulsion from Suva of acting New Zealand deputy High Commissioner Todd Cleaver.

“The New Zealand government will now consider the appropriate steps to take in response to today’s expulsion, and also assess the impact of this action on the already depleted resources in our Suva High Commission.”

A spokeswoman for Prime Minister John Key said he was in a state dinner with Prince Edward this evening, and was not sure if he had been briefed on the expulsion.

Earthtimes.org

Wellington – Fiji’s military ruler, Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama, ordered senior diplomats from New Zealand and Australia out of the country Tuesday, accusing them of waging a negative campaign against his government, which seized power in a bloodless coup nearly three years ago. Bainimarama, who said his Pacific island neighbours were “engaged in a dishonest and untruthful strategy to undermine our judiciary, our independent institutions and our economy,” also ordered his country’s high commissioner in Canberra home.

In a televised address, Bainimarama said the senior diplomats of New Zealand and Australia were “refusing to engage with government and engaging only with those Fijians who have a political interest in holding Fiji back.”

Bainimarama said a judge on Fiji’s High Court, Anjala Wati, had been “harassed and humiliated by the New Zealand High Commission in Fiji when she applied for a visa on medical grounds to take her baby son to New Zealand.”

But the New Zealand High Commission in Suva issued its own statement, saying an application for a visa on medical grounds by Wati was not rejected.

theaustralian.com.au

FIJI’S strongman, Voreqe (Frank) Bainimarama, has expelled Australian high commissioner James Batley and his New Zealand counterpart in the latest diplomatic standoff.

Commodore Bainimarama said Mr Batley and New Zealand’s envoy Todd Cleaver would be given 24 hours to leave the country and that he would recall Fiji’s top diplomats in Australia and New Zealand.

Mr Batley is understood to be outside the country and is not expected to return to Suva, as planned, later this week.

Commodore Bainimarama said the expulsion order was the result of recent decisions taken by the Australian and New Zealand governments concerning Fiji, which he believed amounted to interference in the country’s internal affairs.

He said yesterday that Australia and New Zealand had engaged in dishonest and untruthful strategies to undermine Fiji’s judiciary and weaken the economy.

When outlining the two incidents on Sunday, Justice Gates accused Australia of interfering in the judiciary of a Commonwealth country because Australian consular officials had counselled the Sri Lankans against working in Fiji.

Australian officials had earlier made a low-key approach to Sri Lanka’s judicial authorities informing them that the integrity and independence of the Fiji bench was in doubt.

Justice Gates accused New Zealand of “begrudgingly” granting a visa to the daughter of a Fiji judge who was suffering “full retinal detachment”.

96 responses to “International news headlines..”

Every sovereign people is entitled to a free, independent and impartial judiciary and Justice System. Fiji has not had such a system for a very long time. Intereference and meddling in the judicial system has existed for years within Fiji. As if that were not bad enough, interference, callous and crass meddling has ensued from without Fiji. The Chief Justice of Fiji, Justice Anthony Gates, rightly takes issue with this on our behalf. Our individual and our corporate rights are threatened by such interference. Our sovereignty is impugned. Please consider why any sane person with a dose of self-esteem would tolerate this? Our dignity comes from standing for our sovereignty and asserting that it is unassailable. Would our interests and our descendants require anything less?

It’s unlikely that such confrontational actions by Australia, New Zealand and Fiji are going to succeed in changing each other’s stance. In fact there’s good reason to assume that the positions of the respective governments, and their supporters, will now become more entrenched – to the detriment of all.

The intemperate way in which this whole sorry saga has been played out is an indictment against all the central figures in the three countries. They are showing themselves to be incapable of the diplomatic reasoning that is required of anyone who aspires to be a successful leader in almost any field.

Expletives aside, as colourful as they are… I am glad Bainimarama has taken this stance. Apart from the right to a judiciary, zero- tolerance of outside interference, and an ongoing campaign against a group people (us) whose size and number equate to a small Australian city suburb, it is about time Rudd and Keys get their teeth into Pacific and regional issues and treat it with dignity and respect and man-up quickly.
To date East Timor is being plundered with Oil and Gas by Australian interest pouring 28,000 barels of oil daily into the sea with the inferno going amok on the rig. 12 asylum seekers left to die in a sinking boat (Oceanic Viking) and the refugee centres on Xmas islands bursting at the seams. Only months ago the target- Indian students riots and that fateful Xmas only 2 years ago on Bondi when Arabs were targeted in street riots. What we are seeing is an Australian Foreign Policy that is not only exploitative of foreigners but actively antagonistic and oppressive. All that smooth talk and MDG friendly postures are incongruent to the what Australians think of foreigners. Fiji is telling Australia to stop treating us like some errant child playing like some bad tempered nanny. And as for Brij Lal so called Fijian, really did he expect a cup of tea and scones at the camp. He should stop acting like some precious little Canberra-bred brat, If he is a true Girmitya he should have expected what he got a bit of roughing up here and there, after all his failed Constitution is what fucked things up in the first place. Now that we have persona non-grated the two lets focus on building up and moving forward without the bullshit…

@darren. another “raw” blogger. We are all Fijians. There is no such thing as respect for one group and no respect for another. We are all one and we do respect others and we dont meddle in others’ affairs. We expect our neighbours to give us a chance to fix our decades long problems ourselves. You have contradicted yourself by your statement. For arguments sake, if Indians deserve more respect, isn’t that what Frank is trying to achieve, ie, equality for all, as opposed to Qarase’s divisive policies? And sadly oz and nz oppose it.

Joe
Why you worry if Oz and NZ don’t like, go to China. There is definitely more to respect in the hardworking Indians then the lazy Fijians. Give all idle lands to the Indians to turn it into a fortune while you go drink homebrew under the mango tree with your kind, isn’t that what Franks encourages for you lot? Last I checked, Indians look Indians and Fijians look Fijians, they even worship different Gods. One people my arse. Raise the race card and the Fijians trample the Indians down. Hypocrites everywhere.

@darren,
classic eg. of a Fijian brain is Frank. Despite international pressure and pressure from some chiefs and corrupt ex ministers, this great man is as cool as a cucumber and moving the country in the right direction. Dickheads like yourself can bark till the cows come home. I am sorry to say this, but, prominent Indian politicians and businessmen are more interested in protecting their stash of cash in foreign banks. Frank puts the country and its people first.

joe
Classic example of a Fijian brain is you waiting for the handout from your Great man. You can’t work hard for your money you just waiting for everything for free. Useless, useless people like you can do a good job begging on the streets of Suva.

Right. He puts something first, his arse – because he knows he has no other choice.

How sad a day it is for Fiji.

While our economy does a death dive into oblivion and the people have everything taken from them all you numbskulls can do is cheer, touch eachother and raise your skirts – exclaiming how pleased you are that Bainimarama is retarded enough to antagonise the international community and invite condemnation again (is he just THAT stupid or simply bored?).

I hope everyone likes the cars they have now because the way this is going, that is going to be our pride and joy for the next 10 years while we wait for Bainimarama to die – unless of course you keep cheering for the big cretin in the vain hope that he will give you a free landcruiser… Right? Idiots.

joe
it is you waiting for your handout from your great man. Go to the village, teitei make yourself useful to your commun ity. Leave your dependency mentality hat behind in the city when you go to the village to eat your food and feed your family by the sweat of your head.

@kanabuta. you dont even know me son. I do have a job and dont depend on handouts, never have. It seems people like yourself depended on handouts and it is now hurting when nothing is coming your way. Go get a life. Change your name to KANADROKA.

@Darren the only one playing the race card is you… Indians , FIjians, FIjian chiefs, Indian ministers, church presidents whoever they are get the same treatment in Fiji today if you break the law you go to court, if you get taken to the camp you get “very strong, violent abusive language”… what Did Brij expect after all the negativity he has given us. HE is an academic who makes his bread and butter from playing with language and he is damned good at it, but noone deserves that much credit. But the more you talk the more you show that race is an issue and you have a bouldersize chip right up your arse and sitting on your shoulder if I may say so… But then we will just keep on chipping away… Anyhow if you were true son of girmitya nothing fazes you if your history of hardship is anything to go by so one little harsh word should not send you into a whimper of tears considering you forefathers have had to bear way way worse than that. Maybe you one Susu madrai kind… man up bunene!!!
@Radiolucas welcome back shit stirrer the you must be looking at the economic growth chart upside down man…But then again you never knew your ass from your elbow…

the reality is you Voceke & Reason need to get your head out of each others arses to realise the damage you’ve done econimically to the country….do you guys even realise the investment consequences for these kinda actions…anyway checkout matavuvale.com, there is an organisation there thats lobbying for Voceke to be tried in the ICC. If you keep tabs on their progress, Voceke might be in the Hague by 2014 rather then supervising his election……check it out.

@na dina
The reality is, The ship is on course under the able captaincy of Frank, despite strong head winds. The destination is in sight and radars locked on. Who are you trying to fool dickhead? People like Saddam and Milosovic go to the hague. Go get your facts right you moron. You and matavuceke.com can stick it up each others rear, arsehole!!!!! Now, piss off to RAW.

Let the naysayers talk and ridicule Frank on what he is doing to lift Fiji forward to a more democratic and prosperous country. The vision MUST be achieved and fulfilled in these short space of time. The future is definitely bright for this country. Mark my word!!!

I like the way you all talk about VB as a great leader, a “Captain”, and the “bright future” that he has made for Fiji building the hope for a “more democratic and prosperous country”.

He has no plans. His plans and statements are vague farts about nothing, and worse – he seeks to antagonise the regional trading partners and the general international community – everyone from the USA, Europe to Aust and NZ has condemned him.

If he had half a plan he would try to pretend he is a leader, shut up and try to lay low – but he clearly isn’t even clever enough for that.

And the hypocrisy of you lot: He just took your freedoms, your voices, your prosperity and your future – then you pat him on the back for it for being such a great leader?!?

Are you all crazy or just incredibly stupid?

He is not a leader. Leaders lead and make decisions for and on behalf of the people. He is just a serial liar, a thief and a traitor.

“Your argument that Frank may not be business savvy is in fact neutralised by the business deficient Qarase.”

So what are you trying to say? That VB is a “savvy business leader” when compared to Qarase? Do you seriously think that? I am betting that you don’t really think that – name something that VB has done himself that isn’t (a) Qarase’s idea in the first place; or (b) Some other bright spark’s idea (e.g. potato plan 2009).

Having VB as PM has the rest of the Pacific either laughing at or worried for us – he has no plan, no logic and no self control.

It is as if we are being led by a mentally-challenged orangutan with a gun – VB just makes loud noises and vague threats to anyone who points out the obvious to him – all the while there is no actual work or progress being made.

“Quid pro quo” means exactly what we need: accountability and fairness. As you quite rightly point out, what I am asking for is not unfair or unreasonable – our nation is being held to ransom by – it is just that Frank own up to what he is doing and to return the power he stole back to the people.

VB’s only plan is the same big plan he has always had – to stay in power and either bully, intimidate or bribe whomever he has to to stay there. Even now, he just spent 50m on backpay to the army – surprise, surprise, eh? (not really).

His entire premise of his coup was to “prevent the qoliqoli bill”.

Now the qoliqoli bill is “his” new idea. Tell me he is fucking kidding right?!?

It is disgustingly deceitful.

It is just another nail in the coffin that justifies everything we have been warning would happen. He took your power, he took your money, he is taking your future while you watch all doe-eyed and thanking him for doing it.

I ask you to wake up and be a little more intelligent, not just for myself, but for you too, despite your obvious feelings to the contrary.

I wonder how you will feel when the money runs out and he starts paying you in tin fish and dalo? Will you speak up then? Won’t it be too late?

So yes, I could hold your hand, but we won’t be walking anywhere, just standing still, picking our noses and watching our Great Idiot make a fool of himself and an even bigger fool of us for believing his lies.

No, wait, is this like the election we were meant to have on 10 December 2009?

Come on. We have been through this before.

Respectfully, saying that we are going to have elections in 2014 is not a prediction (unless it is the nostra dumarse kind). Saying this and expecting people to beleive it is an insult to our intelligence.

2014 is a made up number, made up by a lying criminal for the sake of keeping you idiots happy, dreaming in your happy happy land about your happy happy future, while he robs you of your future.

Fiji is not going to be “fine”. Fiji is already a pariah state, a third world dictatorship. The only jobs available will be working for the government and cleaning the sides of the road.

Foreign investment has disappeared and our only hope, tourism, is being depth-charged by the idiot Emperor of Fiji, Frank “Who? What? Where?” Bainimarama.

The only “good” news is that the way that Frank is running things, the country won’t have long to contemplate the real impact of his stupidity before it all falls down all around us.

As someone directly involved in the ICT industry in Fiji for the last 25 years, the issue with the broadcast license is long time coming. This should have been sorted out long ago even before the deregulation of the Telecom industry.

The problem with people like you is that you just do not have an idea what the politicians and their crooks have been doing to Fiji all these times, especially after coup 1987.

I feel good for the new Fiji that will emerge out of this claen up and modernization.

Despite your later comment, my statement was not in relation to whether the licensing system in Fiji should be reviewed – for all I know it should have been and in that I agree with you.

To enact legislation that allows the wholesale redistribution and governing of Fiji’s TV media network that third parties did NOT invest in, and is at the sole discretion of an illegal government is simply corrupt. In a normal government this legislation would have had to have been enacted through a procees through the parliament i.e. the representatives of the people? (you may remember this concept).

As some people put it: “if it walks like a duck, looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it probably is a duck.”

It is no good telling me that you have a secret understanding or “experience” of governmental corruption that, if you had the time to explain and I could appreciate, explains everything that has happened to Fiji. It is a fallacious argument and insulting to those that are suffering.

We know that the past governments have been corrupt. You voted for them too so don’t tell me you bear no responsibility for them.

In fact, all government is corrupt to some degree – but as I am sure that you will agree, they get better over time as the perpetrators of corrupt practices and criminal behavior are sanctioned – either by being prosecuted or booted out of office.

Now we have no justice, no freedom of speech, no governmental accountability, no investment, no economy and no elections. Fun eh? Good job Frank.

The concern that everyone should have by now is with the way this government is fucking everything up – our country is being paddled backwards down the toiletbowl for the sake of an inept military dictator and the greed of a few cronies.

And to add insult to our injury, they are trying to tell us that they are doing it “for the country” and that what they want to do is to have “a clean up”. Right. What “clean up”? Cleaning out the dusty money from the dusty government’s budget?

As Samuel Johnson once wrote: “Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.”

So… All the money in the budget to pay for the Soldiers and the Police, the economy sky diving into deficit and high interest international loans… and yet all you fanboys are unusually quiet.

Where is all the excitement at the “great job” the Interim Incompetants are doing?

Perhaps cold reality is dawning on you all and making re reconsider what everyone has been so upset about.

You should all be ashamed.

The criminal military government is getting rich by making a slow and painful death for Fiji and her people – and all the while you sat on your hands singing the praises of the people that are taking everything from you.

So you won’t read what I have written, but invite me to write about anything OTHER than what the military junta has done to the economy?

Okay:

Freedom of speech;
Freedom of assembly;
Independence of the Judiciary;
Dissolution of Government;
Removal of Democratic safeguards;
Refusal to hold elections;
Torture of civilians;
Murdur of civilians;
Imprisonment and detainment of citizens on the grounds of Political association; and
The installation of unelected officials to appointments before all government ministries and heads of government, including that of Prime Minister and President.

So, yes, the economy is important, but not my only “gripe”. Perhaps, if latin is your forte, you should have a little more thought and gravitas behind your statements.

A poll on Fiji Today shows 90% of those who voted would not vote for the current government in an election. This poll was IP blocked to stop multiple voes. The second poll shows that 91% of people consider they are worse off than last year.

Could somebody please clarify Col Tikodruadrua’s comments regarding criteria for inclusion in the forthcoming political forum?

‘must not represent organisations based on communial representation’?

Does this include organisations (representatives?) who enjoy overwhelming public support? Argument sake lets say SDL drops (agree’s) on the abolishment of communial representation – one vote – one value – what then?

What are you guys still talking about here? Everyone else have moved on and are happy with what Frank and his team are doing for the country lifting everyone from forever drowning in the colonial mindset to true freedom.

You guys can cry all you want until the earth moon fall out of the sky, the rest of us are living happily and working hard to make Fiji self-reliant and prosperous.

C’mon folks, its 2010 so let’s move on.

Or maybe you guys just can’t move on because the lollies that Qarase was giving you by robbing the ordinary folks have dried up huh? Too bad for you folks.

Wow….you are the one to catch up here. You can answer your own questions yourself by doing your own research. The rest of us are too far ahead in building the new Fiji to come back and give you some answers to your dilemma.

Gee ratu some of these lawyer sponsored so called ‘Viti freedom’ www blogs sure have a strange a strange slant & interpretation of word & meaning? (views & perspectives that obviously contradict their own).

Not above a bit of censorship themselves.

Posted story yesterday about these people (person) publicly declaring war on the Lotu (methodists) – demanding removal of leaders via his musical matanivanua – Fiji Sun.

Queried why they hadn’t previously enforced this measure on the catholics (Barr) & others?
Post there – post now gone?

Nobody is declaring war on the Lotu. Frank is declaring war on thieves and terrorists cloaked in Christian ministerial attire.

Why don’t they just resign from the church and form a political party or join the SDL? Stop dragging the good name of the Methodist Church into their own political ideology or their masters in the SDL party. These thieves and terrorists are responsible for dragging the church into sinful acts right from 1987 to date.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure all these out. So Verani, take your narrowminded comment and shove it up ya @#$*.

….I congratulate VB for postponing the methodist church conference till 2014, best decision ever! the church is breeding political figures whose TOR is to save souls not get involved politically, leave that alone! Na ka ni sa qai vinakata qo! boy……I can see God smiling!!!!!

Free elections – democracy etc etc – everyone gets a vote etc etc.
So what happens too traditional Taukei
landowners in Tailevu – Rewa if this form of election takes place? Talking those who currently host countless numbers of Vulagi?
Potential big danger here – possible thru no fault of their own that these Taukei’s could be swampted by shear weight of numbers.

Power that be keeps insisting Viti will do its own thing in its own way in its own time.

I presume this is referring to the forlorn hope that China will come to the aid of the Military Dictatorship?

Seriously, Australia and NZ don’t need Fiji.

Fiji needs Australia and NZ.

The military also need Australia and NZ – think about it – who else can legitimise their corrupt rule?

@ Barp

The FT and FS can’t publish anything real about Fiji because the military won’t let them. Instead you get stories about large vegetables and new bridges being built – pure fluff. Read it and you will either get very bored or go to sleep. Hence why it is so sad because there are far more real stories of corruption, violence, intimidation and theft going on that are being recorded and written about. They just can’t get published in Fiji and Australia and NZ don’t care about corruption in a third world country – they don’t do it for Burma so why do it for Fiji?

Also – don’t let anyone distract you with talk about race and conflict over racial “divides”. Fiji is not the middle east.

It is, and was never about the “Foreigners” v “Kaiviti” – it is about money, power and greed. No matter how alluring and sexy a complex story about intrigue and heroes might be, the simplest explanation for an event is usually the answer: The military staged the coup to steal the country.

In any event, just remember that even though the FT cannot publish them, they are still writing and recording the events and news stories that the military won’t let the publish – because the truth will come out one day.

History will be a harsh judge of character for these incompetant criminals masquerading as an elected government.

Without clarity, without an understanding or even a vague plan of what the military dictatorship hopes to do, how and what should anyone do to make this “honest” contribution?

I am guessing the answer is “shut up” and “don’t ask any questions”.

Now, I am not what I think of as being highly intelligent but that plan doesn’t sound “constructive” in any way.

What it does sound like is stupid because only the stupid or the morally deficient would CHOOSE to shut their eyes to what is going on. It is okay if you live overseas and you don’t know what is going on like a tourist but it is not okay if you live in Fiji and you see it happening to you and to your future.

“Stealing”

I am not sure about what sort of medication you are on, but should you pause long enough in your cut and paste typing to think about what your claims actually are.

I am hoping that you don’t think that shutting up and being quiet is a good plan. That is what Ostriches do and I know that Ostriches don’t own computers – unless these Ostriches work up at the Barracks, which might be possible.

Anyway. Assuming that you are a person (and not an Ostrich), you might have given some thought about how you might “help” Fiji.

I have an idea as follows:

1. Removing the draconian edicts of the Military Dictatorship;

3. Reinstating the rights and freedoms of the people of Fiji;

3. Removing the Military from all political positions (they are soldiers, not leaders);

4. Reinstating an electoral process that does not require a Dictator’s whimsical notion of “when I am ready for an election, Fiji is ready for an election”;

5. Conducting a referendum on the political reform in Fiji; and

6. Electing a government that MOST (not all) of us vote for.

—

Anyway, that is my idea of an “honest” contribution to the advancement of Fiji.

Now all of the above that you and your ilks are so concupiscent about was collectively enjoyed by the masses pre 87, 2000 and the Qarase era.

However during the Qarase era spawn the realease of people like yourself with fingers in the public trough and yet with all that has occured the insatiable desire for everything thats not yours intensifies.

You all claim you all victims of this coup whilst the majority of the Fijian population begs to differ.

Now then again I ask you what will you contribute to the advancement of Fiji without forever bleating of the unfortunate circumstance you in.

Using latin implies a certain type of education – sometimes English, sometimes legal. A lot of people often like to use latin to sum up arguments and causes such as: “iuris ignorantia est cum ius nostrum ignoramus”, which when translated:

“it is ignorance of the law when we do not know our own rights”

Equally, a thesaurus is a very useful device for finding alternate words for the same meaning with a different effect.

But why are you doing this?

I suspect that your intention in using both complex and archaic language is twofold:

1. To confuse; and

2. To make people that your argument has more merit than it really does.

“The Majority Begs to Differ”

I like the words you are using – Fijian – what do you mean by this? Are you implying that the Fijian (i.e. the indigenous) or the “Fiji Islanders” are in support of Frank and his Dictatorship?

If someone has a gun to your head, and says to you that you have to say that you like ice cream, unless you like being shot, you will say that you like ice cream.

But does it mean you like ice cream?

Do Ostriches like ice cream?

I don’t actually care whether you like ice cream. I don’t think Ostriches like ice cream.

The point is that you are saying that the “majority” of Fiji is in support of a Military Government that has not only financially and politically ruined the country but refuses to let the “Majority” have a voice with which to tell them how “happy” (overjoyed??) they are to have these incompetant thugs fuck up the country’s future for the next fifty years. I don’t think you really believe this.

I can assure you that if the majority were given a voice, the message would be clear: the Military Dictatorship has to go, go quickly and quietly.

This was the case before the PER and will be after.

What reason, other than to hold onto power and wealth, does the Military Dictator have for his coup? The great clean up? The elusive napkin roadmap he says that he has but refuses to reveal?

“Your Plan – another Napkin Roadmap”

I see that you have refused to answer the question as to how you intend to “advance” Fiji.

Please try to put down in normal, everyday language what your plan for Fiji would be. I have told you what mine would be – it doesnt involve threatening anyone or claiming that I know something secret or better than you, nor is it in latin. My plan is simple and obvious.

So is there something preventing you from telling us all about your plan for “advancement”?

Is your plan a secret? Do you have a special, secret, napkin roadmap like Frank, known only unto yourself? Would you like to share it with us all?